Capsize | h.s

Three

Waking up with an empty stomach was not something Celia was used to. Suppers at court were usually filled with heavy foods and followed by delicious desserts, and she never shied away from filling her plate to the brim. She hoped that the journey on the Golden Tide would go by fast.

Celia quickly dressed herself in the gown that Harry lent to the her the previous night and emerged from her room. The cabin was empty, Harry nowhere to be seen. On the dining table, however, was a plate of fruit and bread, and a note beside it that read:

Breakfast. Enjoy.

Celia set down the parchment and popped a grape into her mouth. Before she knew it, she had consumed the entirety of the food.

"I trust you slept well?"

Celia whipped her head around in the direction of the voice. Harry stood by his desk, the door to the cabin halfway open. "Everyone on this boat loves to sneak around," she said, standing up and smoothing out her skirt. "Yes, I did."

"Everyone?" Harry raised a brow.

"The physician crept up on me yesterday."

"Ah, Luke," he said. "Nice lad. No need to fear him."

"Is there someone aboard that I should be fearing?" Celia questioned, unsettled by the captain's statement.

"Not that I know of," he replied. "Follow me, I'll introduce you to the crew. The morning has been filled with rumors and I'd like to put them to rest."

Harry led Celia out of the cabin and into the morning sun. The deck outside of the cabin was a balcony that overlooked the entirety of the ship. It was quite a beautiful view, the glittering sea surrounding all sides of them, but the foul stench of fish and sweaty bodies of the crew killed the beauty of the scenery almost instantly.

Without warning, a sharp whistle came from Harry's mouth and pierced Celia's ears. She saw his lips curl into a brief smile, amused by her startled expression, and then fall into a hardened line. Celia straightened her posture and stood a little closer to the captain's side as he began to shout at the men on the deck below them.

"There have been rumors and questions surrounding our newest guest aboard the Golden Tide," he began. "This is Mistress Celia Wright, a maid of honor to the Queen herself and a victim of a Spanish raid." Anger boiled on the men's faces at the sound of Spaniards attacking English gentlefolk. "You will treat her with the utmost respect and should I find you straying from my orders, there will be severe punishment. Am I understood?"

"Aye!" the crew shouted back.

"Get back to work!" Harry demanded and the men dispersed at once. Celia remained in her rigid position until she felt a large hand that belonged to Harry on her lower back. "Wasn't so bad, was it?" Harry asked with a smirk.

Celia smiled and turned her body towards him. He towered over her small stature, his emerald eyes boring into her blue ones. "I'm indebted to you, sir."

"You owe me nothing other than your company," he said curtly.

♛

Celia gripped the railing of the ship, inhaling the salty air as it tousled her golden red hair in the tumbling wind. The ship rocked gently with the soft waves, like a mother soothing her wailing baby. Sunlight reflected off the water, creating a glittering masterpiece that entranced Celia, along with the melodic sound of the waves lapping against the ship.

"Beautiful, innit?"

She turned her head in the direction of the voice, softening her eyes when they landed upon Luke. "Yes," she replied, returning her gaze to the infinite ocean. "Like a painting."

"God's own work of art."

Celia hummed in response. The boat tipped as it collided with a wave, sending Celia slipping off balance and tumbling into Luke's strong arms. He gripped her waist with both hands and helped her upright, immediately removing his hands and taking a step backward once she had her bearings again. "Thank you," she whispered.

Luke cleared his throat and looked out at the sea. "What is court like?"

"Extravagant," she replied. "Intimidating. Beautiful. Secretive." Between each word was a brief silence. Celia sighed. "It's my home."

"I'm sure you miss it."

"Terribly," she said. "All I hope is that the Queen will allow me to stay on. I was only given the position as gratitude for my father's service to her. Now that he is gone, I don't know if she will keep me."

"Your father—"

"Taken by the Spanish," Celia said, tightening her grip on the railing. "Either that, or he was killed. I was pushed overboard as they took hold of the ship. I don't know the fate of my father or my sister."

"That's an awful thing," Luke said, turning to face Celia. "Not knowing."

She nodded. "Yes, it is. But the Queen valued my father greatly. Perhaps she will send out a search party."

"You really believe she would do that?" Harry's voice boomed from behind Celia. His hands rested on his hips and his eyebrows were raised, challenging Celia's statement.

"There were other nobles aboard that ship. She cannot allow the Spanish to get away with such a feat. It would make her and England look weak."

"Perhaps you should be Queen, then, Mistress Celia," Harry said in a condescending tone.

"That, Sir Harry, is treason," she replied. "And you would be wise to learn to watch your tongue."

"Or, what? You'll report me?" The green in his eyes blossomed with excitement, as if Celia was a new toy for him to play with and he was not going to stop now; it was just getting fun. "Elizabeth is too busy trying to shake off marriage and keeping her country from going into civil war over religion. I don't think she would take the gossip of a mere maid too seriously."

Celia sunk her teeth into her tongue, taking her own advice that she had given the contentious pirate before her, but it was no use. The words came flying out of her mouth like a bird that was cooped up for far too long. "You may think you're all high and mighty because you run a ship," she said as she stepped closer to him until their faces were inches apart. "But once we arrive at court, you will soon learn that you are nothing more than a lowly pirate who has to steal from and belittle others in order to gain any satisfaction." Harry narrowed his eyes at the courageous young woman who stood before him with her arms proudly crossed over her chest. "And I pity you for that."

Harry watched as she twisted her lips to prevent any more words from spilling out, a small smile daring to appear on his face. He quickly coughed and licked his lips. "You've made your point."

She nodded curtly and stalked away, leaving Harry and Luke baffled by her boldness and swept away by her beauty. Her blazing hair as fiery as her temper blew in the wind as she walked across the deck and into the captain's cabin, disappearing and bringing the two men back to reality.

Harry shot a glare at Luke. "Don't you have some medical books to be reading?" he spat.

Luke cowered instantly and nodded furiously. "Yes, captain."

Harry grasped the railing of the ship and stared out into the shimmering sea, inhaling the salty air, and allowing a wave of peace to overcome him as the boat rocked to its rhythmic beat. "Mistress Celia," he hummed softly, smiling. "You are something else."